Elasticidade-renda e elasticidade-desigualdade da pobreza no nordeste brasileiro

Abstract

This work estimates income elasticity and inequality elasticity of poverty in the Brazilian Northeast and in rural and urban areas, using as a poverty index the following: P0 (headcount), P1 (poverty gap) and P2 (squared poverty gap), controlled by average family income per capita, and the Gini index as an inequality index. Data was obtained from the Pnad (National Research by Household Sample) in the 1995 to 2009 period. An econometric model is estimated for panel data with fixed effects and random effects. The results show that inequality reduction has more impact on lowering poverty levels than on growth of average income, and that policies focused on fighting poverty should be diversified, i.e., should vary according to the region (urban or rural area) in which that policy shall be implemented.